Upgrading the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with American Racing Headers

Better Breathing Stingray - Headers, exhaust and a tune help add horsepower and make this new C7 a solid, mid-11-second performer.

After the introduction of 2014 Corvette Stingray, we couldn’t wait to finally see a new C7 out on the road. The 2014 Stingray has to be the most exciting car the automotive world has seen in recent years. The C7 is the biggest leap forward in the evolution of the Vette since the introduction of the C4 in 1983.

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Matt Hauffe, owner of Tune Time Performance, in Lakewood, New Jersey, put in an order for a new Stingray as soon as GM announced they would accept orders. Once Matt’s new Vette was delivered, he drove and enjoyed it until it had roughly 400 break-in miles before baseline dyno and strip testing began. This also enabled Matt to accustom himself with his new world class supercar. For this story, we bolted on American Racing Headers’ new long-tube headers and stainless X-pipe. These exhaust upgrades would enable the Gen-V LT-1 to exhale more efficiently and will begin the groundwork for future mods.

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Here’s a last look of the stock mid/x-pipe exhaust on the TTP ’14 Vette.

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Notice the location of the X-pipe section of the mid-pipe compared to the new American Racing Headers mid/X-pipe we’ll be installing.

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Tune Time’s top techs George Hatzinikitas and Matt Hauffe drop-down the stock X-pipe to begin the header/exhaust install.

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The front exhaust pipes are also dropped down before the exhaust manifolds can be removed.

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For access to the exhaust manifold fasteners, the engine cover, hoses, electrical wires, connectors, along with the large fuss box center, need to be disconnected or removed and put aside.

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With all those snots out of the way, it was easy for George to get right in there and unbolt the exhaust manifolds.

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Here we can see how easy it is to reach the exhaust manifold bolts.

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There’s enough room for the stock manifolds can come out from the top or the bottom.

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The American Racing Headers (ARH) easily slip into position from the bottom side.

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ARH will custom size a header system to better suit your application with internal mods, a supercharger, or both.

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The oil lines for the dry sump system (part of the Z51 and Z52 package) were removed and reinstalled to ease the installation of the r/s header.

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We’ve always found the fit and finish to be top-notch on American Racing Headers products, and they’ll give you plenty of years of service. For this application, the primary tubes (.049-inch thick) are 1 7/8-inch, flowing into a merge-type 3-inch collector with a 2.75-inch choke and 3-inch outlet.

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All ARH headers feature a special flow-spike in the merge type collector. ARH was the first header manufacturer to feature merge collectors as standard equipment with their headers. High quality 304 stainless steel that’s 100-percent American-made is featured in all ARH exhaust tubing.

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The X-pipe forward mid section bolts right-up to the header collectors. The placement of the O2 sensor bungs makes screwing-in and reconnecting the sensors a cinch. Notice the X-type cross-over is now at the front of the mid-pipe. Not visible are the 49-state legal, severe-duty cats located where the stock crossover pipe was. The ARH collectors and remaining balance of the exhaust system is made of the same 304 stainless steel with a tube thickness of .065-inch.

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The back half of the mid/X crossover features welded-on brackets that hook right-up to the factory rubber-isolated hangers. Plus it slips right into the stock tailpipes with or without the factory NPT performance exhaust option.

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Initially the ARH showed 12 hp and 14 lbs-ft across the powerband from 3,900 to over 6,500 rpm, not just at peak. Once Matt performed his tuning magic for a safe air-fuel ratio (12.8:1), another 4 hp and 4 lb-ft was realized.

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That brought the total gains up to 16 hp and 18 lb-ft. While that doesn’t sound like a ton, look at the dyno sheet to see the excellent gains under and along the power curve.

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At Atco Raceway, the headers showed substantial gains—nearly 4-tenths and over 4 mph. Matt changed the tune on the torque management from 60-percent to nearly 100-percent throttle opening during the holeshot launch for better 60-foot times. With that, he changed to a set of 305/35R-18 drag radials mounted on C6 wheels (seen in pic) in place of the stock 285/35R-20s. The drag radials cut nearly 2-tenths from the 60-foot and 3-tenths in the quarter mile bringing the best E.T. down to an 11.47 at 119.32 mph.

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Here’s a look at both American Racing Headers’ long-tube and mid-length header set ups for the new Corvette Stingray.

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Upgrading the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray with American Racing Headers

The Tune Time Performance 2014 Stingray was the first C7 your author was able to see in person—at Atco Dragway no less! After roughly 400 break in miles, Matt Hauffe (owner of Tune Time Performance) felt comfortable enough to baseline strip test his new seven-speed stick LT-1 Vette. His best bone-stock e.t. was a 1.82 sixty foot with a 12.13 at 116.64 mph (1.82 60-ft). On the Tune Time Performance Mustang Dynamometer, the Stingray’s wheels spun up to 397 hp and 395 lb-ft. After the header/exhaust install, Matt would put his tuning skills to work to beat the computer’s torque management which only allowed 60-percent throttle during baseline holeshot action.

The Tune Time Performance 2014 Stingray was the first C7 your author was able to see in person—at Atco Dragway no less! After roughly 400 break in miles, Matt Hauffe (owner of Tune Time Performance) felt comfortable enough to baseline strip test his new seven-speed stick LT-1 Vette. His best bone-stock e.t. was a 1.82 sixty foot with a 12.13 at 116.64 mph (1.82 60-ft). On the Tune Time Performance Mustang Dynamometer, the Stingray’s wheels spun up to 397 hp and 395 lb-ft. After the header/exhaust install, Matt would put his tuning skills to work to beat the computer’s torque management which only allowed 60-percent throttle during baseline holeshot action.

Here’s a last look of the stock mid/x-pipe exhaust on the TTP ’14 Vette.

Notice the location of the X-pipe section of the mid-pipe compared to the new American Racing Headers mid/X-pipe we’ll be installing.

Tune Time’s top techs George Hatzinikitas and Matt Hauffe drop-down the stock X-pipe to begin the header/exhaust install.

The front exhaust pipes are also dropped down before the exhaust manifolds can be removed.

For access to the exhaust manifold fasteners, the engine cover, hoses, electrical wires, connectors, along with the large fuss box center, need to be disconnected or removed and put aside.

With all those snots out of the way, it was easy for George to get right in there and unbolt the exhaust manifolds.

Here we can see how easy it is to reach the exhaust manifold bolts.

There’s enough room for the stock manifolds can come out from the top or the bottom.

The American Racing Headers (ARH) easily slip into position from the bottom side.

ARH will custom size a header system to better suit your application with internal mods, a supercharger, or both.

The oil lines for the dry sump system (part of the Z51 and Z52 package) were removed and reinstalled to ease the installation of the r/s header.

We’ve always found the fit and finish to be top-notch on American Racing Headers products, and they’ll give you plenty of years of service. For this application, the primary tubes (.049-inch thick) are 1 7/8-inch, flowing into a merge-type 3-inch collector with a 2.75-inch choke and 3-inch outlet.

All ARH headers feature a special flow-spike in the merge type collector. ARH was the first header manufacturer to feature merge collectors as standard equipment with their headers. High quality 304 stainless steel that’s 100-percent American-made is featured in all ARH exhaust tubing.

The X-pipe forward mid section bolts right-up to the header collectors. The placement of the O2 sensor bungs makes screwing-in and reconnecting the sensors a cinch. Notice the X-type cross-over is now at the front of the mid-pipe. Not visible are the 49-state legal, severe-duty cats located where the stock crossover pipe was. The ARH collectors and remaining balance of the exhaust system is made of the same 304 stainless steel with a tube thickness of .065-inch.

The back half of the mid/X crossover features welded-on brackets that hook right-up to the factory rubber-isolated hangers. Plus it slips right into the stock tailpipes with or without the factory NPT performance exhaust option.

Initially the ARH showed 12 hp and 14 lbs-ft across the powerband from 3,900 to over 6,500 rpm, not just at peak. Once Matt performed his tuning magic for a safe air-fuel ratio (12.8:1), another 4 hp and 4 lb-ft was realized.

That brought the total gains up to 16 hp and 18 lb-ft. While that doesn’t sound like a ton, look at the dyno sheet to see the excellent gains under and along the power curve.

At Atco Raceway, the headers showed substantial gains—nearly 4-tenths and over 4 mph. Matt changed the tune on the torque management from 60-percent to nearly 100-percent throttle opening during the holeshot launch for better 60-foot times. With that, he changed to a set of 305/35R-18 drag radials mounted on C6 wheels (seen in pic) in place of the stock 285/35R-20s. The drag radials cut nearly 2-tenths from the 60-foot and 3-tenths in the quarter mile bringing the best E.T. down to an 11.47 at 119.32 mph.

Here’s a look at both American Racing Headers’ long-tube and mid-length header set ups for the new Corvette Stingray.

Tune Time Performance recently moved from their small shop in Toms River, New Jersey, to a more spacious facility in Lakewood. To celebrate the move, Tune Time decided to host a car show and open house benefiting "Ocean of Love" for children with cancer. - Super Chevy Magazine » Read More